The Study of biological organism that have the ability to sense infrared and near-infrared light and the related photo-conductivity and infrared spectrum properties include “Single-Crystalline Branched Zinc Phosphide Nanostructures: Synthesis, Properties, and Optoelectronic Devices” as described in Nanoscale Res Lett. 2009 May 15; 4(8):779-788, which therein describes hierarchical tree-shaped nanostructures, nanobelts, and nanowires of Zn3P2 were synthesized in a thermal assisted laser ablation process. All nanostructures are tetragonal phased Zn3P2 with excellent crystallinity and are free from an oxidization layer according to electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses. Optical measurement revealed a strong absorption from the ultraviolet to near-infrared regions. Optoelectronic devices fabricated using individual nanowires demonstrate a high sensitivity and rapid response to impinging light. A crossed heterojunction of an n-type ZnO nanowire and a p-type Zn3P2 nanowire has been characterized, and it offers a great potential for a high efficient spatial resolved photon detector.
Also known are Zinc Phosphide Nanowires for Photon Detection, as disclosed in Yang et al., “Single-Crystalline Branched Zinc Phosphide Nanostructures: Synthesis, Properties, and Optoelectronic Devices,” Nano Letters Vol. 7, No. 2, pp269-275 (2007). In this publication, the detection limit of the nanowire devices by an array of photodiodes could serve as nano-optoelectronic components in cameras, solar cells and scientific instruments.
Further teachings include “One-Dimensional Nanostructures and Devices of II-V Group Semiconductors” as disclosed by Shen G, Chen D. in Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics and College of Optoelectronic Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 43007 4 People's Republic of China. Therein, the II-V group semiconductors, with narrow band gaps, are important materials with many applications in infrared detectors, lasers, solar cells, ultrasonic multipliers, and Hall generators. Since the first report on trumpet-like Zn(3)P(2) nanowires, one-dimensional (1-D) nanostructures of II-V group semiconductors have attracted great research attention recently because these special 1-D nanostructures may find applications in fabricating new electronic and optoelectronic nanoscale devices. This article covers the 1-D II-V semiconducting nanostructures that have been synthesized till now, focusing on nanotubes, nanowires, nanobelts, and special nanostructures like heterostructured nanowires. Novel electronic and optoelectronic devices built on 1-D II-V semiconducting nanostructures will also be discussed, which include metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistors, metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors, and p-n heterojunction photodiode.
Other related teachings include Infrared sensor systems and devices as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,547,886 Filed on Jul. 7, 2006 and Issued Jun. 16, 2009 to Michael Mueller. This reference discloses an organic material can be used in a modified strain gauge for IR transduction, resulting in an organic IR sensor. Infrared radiation incident on the organic material modulates a displacement of the material in order to detect the presence and intensity of IR radiation. This innovative design doesn't require cooling, and is sensitive to 9 and 3 μm—wavelengths that are emitted by mammals and forest fires, respectively. In addition, a photomechanical polymer can be used in a transistor based on a thin-film transistor (TFT), also resulting in an IR sensor. Through careful synthesis of the polymers, the photomechanical response of the transistor can be tailored to certain IR bands for detection purposes.
And, U.S. Pat. No. 6,661,073 titled “Semiconductor infrared detector and method for the production thereof,” to Stievenard et al. teaches a semiconductor infrared detector includes in the following order: a semiconductor 10 substrate; a layer of electrically insulating material; and patterns formed in a semiconductor layer. The patterns are formed from at least one island that is connected to bridges which are connected to polarization electrodes. The bridges are lines having an approximately constant width Ip and the islands are zones having a width li that is greater than that of the lines.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 8,269,260, titled “Materials, systems and methods for optoelectronic devices,” Filed on Aug. 22, 2011 and Issued Sep. 18, 2012 to Edward Sargent, discloses a photodetector is described along with corresponding materials, systems, and methods. The photodetector comprises an integrated circuit and at least two optically sensitive layers. A first optically sensitive layer is over at least a portion of the integrated circuit, and a second optically sensitive layer is over the first optically sensitive layer. Each optically sensitive layer is interposed between two electrodes. The two electrodes include a respective first electrode and a respective second electrode. The integrated circuit selectively applies a bias to the electrodes and reads signals from the optically sensitive layers. The signal is related to the number of photons received by the respective optically sensitive layer.